Cristina Smeu, a VP Innovation Engineer, has risen fast at Barclays – here she explains how.

Barclays was my first job out of uni and I’ve been here for 6 years. In that time, I’ve gone from intern to VP and always had support from my leaders to progress and develop. 

The size of the company has also helped me grow my career. As someone starting out, I could explore different paths – a luxury that maybe wouldn’t have been an option in a small business. 

I dipped a toe in software engineering, data modelling, and business analysis and architecture. That variety didn’t just help me decide what I liked best, it also gave me a broader understanding of the business. If I’d been stuck in a narrow specialism too soon, I’d have missed out. 

In the end, it was innovation that grabbed my interest. In my current role, I aim to maximise the benefit of new tech for our millions of customers – from faster products to more user-friendly interfaces. This isn’t tech for tech’s sake. It’s high-stakes work with real impact on society. 

Barclays’ recent investments has brought AI to the forefront of how we innovate, with many exciting projects ahead. But as cool as all the technology is, it’s the people who make the job. My teammates are an inclusive bunch, and all have talent and hard work in common. I guess that being part of a culture that develops our skills and brings out our best has a lot to do with it.